Life without parole for Worcester man in rape, slaying

Edwin Mazariego was sentenced today to life in prison without parole for the 2006 rape and murder of Maxine Libby.

Mr. Mazariego, 31, formerly of 59½ Benefit St., was found guilty of first-degree felony murder and aggravated rape Friday in the slaying of Ms. Libby, a 41-year-old mother of five, whose battered and partially nude body was discovered Aug. 19, 2006, near railroad tracks at the end of Benefit Street.

Judge David Ricciardone sentenced Mr. Mazariego today to the statutory life sentence without parole on the first-degree murder conviction and to a concurrent life sentence on the aggravated rape conviction. Before imposing sentence, Judge Ricciardone denied a motion filed by Mr. Mazariego's lawyer, John J. Roemer, asking the court to reduce the first-degree murder conviction to second-degree murder and the aggravated rape conviction to rape.

An autopsy determined that Ms. Libby's death resulted from blunt head trauma. Three large rocks with Ms. Libby's blood on them were found by police near her body. One of the rocks was also determined to have Julio Cesar Munoz-Mancias's DNA on it, according to testimony during Mr. Mazariego's jury trial.

Mr. Munoz-Mancias, 24, was shot to death during a June 2, 2007, altercation between two groups of men in a parking lot between 59 and 59½ Benefit St. In 2010, Walter Martinez, who was also shot during the 2007 altercation, told police that Mr. Mazariego related to him shortly after Ms. Libby's body was found that Mr. Munoz-Mancias had killed her and that he was present when the slaying occurred.

Mr. Martinez said Mr. Munoz-Mancias later admitted to him that he killed Ms. Libby.

When questioned by police, Mr. Mazariego said he and Mr. Munoz-Mancias struck a deal with Ms. Libby for sex for a fee and she accompanied them to the area of the railroad tracks. He said that he had no money and that Mr. Munoz-Mancias was to pay for both of them.

Mr. Mazariego told detectives he put on a condom and hugged Ms. Libby, but walked away when she insisted she be paid first. A short time later, he said, he heard screams and saw Mr. Munoz-Mancias hitting Ms. Libby with rocks.

He denied any role in the slaying.

In order to find Mr. Mazariego guilty of first-degree felony murder, Judge Ricciardone told the jurors before they began their deliberations that they had to determine that Ms. Libby was killed during the commission or attempted commission of a felony carrying up to a life sentence, such as aggravated rape. Th jury did not find Mr. Mazariego guilty under Assistant District Attorney Brett F. Dillon's other theory of first-degree murder, that the killing was committed with extreme atrocity or cruelty.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence, but with a possibility of parole in 15 years. The maximum sentence for rape is 20 years.

"My mother was a good person and a very loving and caring person," Ms. Libby's son, Derek Libby, said in an impact statement read in court before Mr. Mazariego was sentenced.

"Yes, my mom had some problems, but who doesn't? I will always love my mother, and I hope she is at peace," Mr. Libby said.